Planted A Little Sweet Corn Today...

Finally got to try out the planter I refurbished two winters ago..!! Hooked it up to the DB Super Deluxe 3, and it seemed to do a fine job on the one variety of corn. Kernels seemed to be fairly uniform, so it appears to have done a good job. I planted two rows with it, and another two rows of the same with my push planter to compare drops & spacing. I used the medium setting on the sprockets. The OP manual does not give seed spacing, but rather how many feet a pound will plant.

Another variety where the kernels were pretty gnarly, and different sizes seem to plug in the drop tube. Rain was setting in, and I wanted to get it in the ground, so I finished with the push planter. It even gave it fits, spitting kernels out over the top of the hopper.

The third variety, also planted with the push planter did fine. Will try a second planting with the DB at a later date, and hopefully when not trying to beat the rain.

I am experimenting with a hedge fence made from sunflowers to keep deer out of the sweet corn. I've read where deer will not jump over something they cannot see the other side of. Guess we'll see... I used the G-12 plate to sow the big striped seeds, and it also did a great job sowing these. I planted 6 rows around the patch, and left a space in the center at one end to enter, but made a few passes across this entry about 4' inward, to allow an entryway to get the Big 5 in to cultivate later. I slowed down the speed, with the variable speed, and watched the seeds drop down the tube, as I didn't have to worry about them being in such a nice straight line, so as to cultivate. Also planted some black oilers in with the stripers to make a pretty thick growth. If nothing else, the birds willhave a feast later this summer..., LOL...

Nice tractor and planter ! How deep do you plant your corn ? Did you use a Earth Way push planter ? Thats what I use for my little corn patch but I don't think it plants deep enough with the deepest setting and then with my soil it hard to keep a steady stright row , I was thinking to use the push plow with a stright shank to make a furror and then follow with the planter ,

Thanks guys, tractor is all original. Geeze, I've had it for 25 years or so. Bought it at an auction for like $45.00, with 3 attachments. At that time, the Troy-Bilts were the rage, and tractors like this weren't worth much. Actually bought it to resell years ago. Sold it, but the guy didn't care for it, so bought it back. Glad I did..!! Didn't realize just how rare it is..!! :) If I remember correctly, it was made in the first production run for this new and improved model, according to the numbers. Someone did put an electronic module on it before I bought it. It had set in my barn for probably 20 years, before dragging it out a couple winters ago. I have an earlier posting about it here somewhere. You can't imagine how surprised I was it still had spark..!!

I plant sweet corn 1/2" to 3/4" deep. I've always heard depth should be twice the size of the seeds. It's always worked good for me. I've got a Special 5 I cultivate with. I mark the rows out with it, then use a plastic watering can with the spout cut off some to add starter fertilizer. I then run the cultivators through the rows to mix it some, then plant. Rows are then spaced right to cultivate. Takes a little extra time, but saves a lot of work later. And yes, I use an Earthway. Usually drops two kenrnels per hill. I've always had good stands with it too.

Yeah, I printed off that page for the plates/gear ratio's. And at the bottom saw the hill spacing item. I was thinking that was for the plates for planting pumpkins, etc. I'll go back, and re-read that part. Hill spacing started at 8" and up. I prefer mine a little closer, but to each his own. I may even break out the old corn jobber (Sears & Roebuck too) still hanging in Dad's garden shed, bought new in the early 50's, one of these days.

I've still got a brand new planter, never used. It has the fertilizer attachment. I need to go through it too, but will never run fertilizer through it. Just not worth the hassle to clean it up when I'm done, compared to using the water can. And somewhere around here, is the new set of plates for it. I put them away years ago so they would not get lost..., but they did..., LOL... They are here, just got to find them...

Yep, re-read the hill spacing chart with the 12 pocket plate. 6 tooth on the wheel, 12 on the hopper gives an 8" spacing. I may try that on the next planting, just for giggles. A buddy of mine says that is the perfect spacing, according to some garden forums. I still prefer a little closer, but we'll see...

I really dropped the ball last year not posting follow up pics of the sweet corn & sunflower hedge row. So here are a few...

Sweet corn did well. We had plenty of rain to make things grow well. Happy to report the Sunflower hedgerow worked great..!! No deer damage at all..!! :) I will definitely do it again this year. There were hoof prints through the patch, but they never bothered it. Apparently, they like more mature corn. Once the Sunflowers got about 3' high, no more hoof prints through the patch.

I did another little experiment in a small planting outside the Sunflowers. I let it go to see if the would eat on it. Yep, right before shooting tassel. They also nibbled on some green beans. I let them chew on them, for two days, then sprayed the corn & beans with some jalapeno juice mixed with water. They never touched it after that.

I put 6-8 jalapenos in a blender with a small amount of water. Pretty well pureed them, then filled the blender almost to the top with water, and pulsed it, to mix it up good. Strained it through some old T-shirt material, and stored in 12 oz. water bottles in the freezer. I added 4-6 oz. of the pepper juice to a gallon of water in my sprayer, then gave the corn & beans a good shot, literally dripping off. The Deer stayed completely away from it after that. Of course, had to spray it when ever it rained, but not a problem.

And of course, put the electric fence up for the short legged critters. So not sure if it will keep the racoon from eating on it. Didn't want to take a chance.

I always plant at the slowest speed I can get, the seeder seems to work a lot better. 8" is pretty normal for a corn spacing. I wished that would have given you more sprocket choices, or maybe a 6 hole plate.